Kowal, Dolan Qualify First for 200 Breast and 200 IM Finals

By Kari Lydersen

Event 19: Women's 200 Breast Semi-Final
Kristy Kowal qualified first for the finals of the 200 breast with a 2:25.92, just .57 off the American record.
Kowal, 21 and representing Athens Bulldogs, was followed by Megan Quann, the American record-setter and champion in the 100 breast. Quann, 16 and swimming for Puyallup, logged a 2:27.29. Amanda Beard, the silver medalist at this event in the 1996 Olympics, qualified third in 2:28.59. Staciana Stitts, who beat out Kowal by .01 to make the team in the 100 breast, qualified fourth in 2:29.31.
Fifth qualifier was Annemieke McReynolds in 2:29.41, sixth Jenna Street in 2:30.40, seventh Kristen Caverly in 2:30.53 and eighth Tara Kirk in 2:30.97.

Event 20: Men's 200 IM Semi-Final
Tom Dolan qualified first in the 200 IM with a 2:01.76. Tom Wilkens qualified second in 2:02.43, after making the team with a second-place finish in the 200 breast earlier in the evening.
Kevin Clements qualified third in 2:02.52, Beau Wiebel was fourth in 2:02.84, Robert Margalis fifth in 2:03.22, 1992 Olympian Ron Karnaugh sixth in 2:03.35, Joe Montague seventh in 2:03.58 and Dan Turpin eighth in 2:04.81.